Historic preservation efforts lauded in Wilmette

Wilmette resident Paul Pasin was given an award from the Wilmette Historic Preservation Commission on Nov. 4 for the additions he made to his home at 687 Sheridan Road. (Brian L. Cox, Chicago Tribune)

Charlotte Adelman's love for nature moved her to ask the Wilmette Park District if she could plant a two-acre native Illinois prairie garden at the north end of Centennial Park in Wilmette.

With the help from Wilmette teenager Joe Bruner and other members of the Wilmette Boy Scout Troop 2, she did just that. Two years later, the garden is in full bloom and Adelman and the Wilmette Park District have been given a preservation award in recognition of their efforts.

"I love nature," said Adelman, who has lived in Wilmette for 39 years. "I love prairies. I love woodlands and I love wetlands."

Adelman was one of six people honored during the 20th annual Wilmette Historic Preservation Awards on Nov. 4 at the Wilmette Historical Museum at 609 Ridge Road.

Earlier this fall, residents of Wilmette were invited to nominate buildings, gardens and/or landscapes that reflected or enhanced the historic character of the village, said Christine Norrick, chair of the Wilmette Historic Preservation Commission.

"Preservation is important for community building, for fostering community pride and for understanding our past as well as setting a path forward for the future," said Norrick.

Adelman and the Wilmette Park District were both given the award in the "restoration category," something that Bill Lambrecht, the district's superintendent of parks and planning, said is much appreciated.

"I think it turned out spectacularly," he said. "It was a fight to get there because a lot of people fought us."

"They thought 'this is different this is not what we want to see growing in a park,'" he added. "When the flowers came in, in the summer, and the grass was tall, the reaction from the community was spectacular."

Other preservation awards went to Steve Feldman and Jennifer Manning for using old photographs from the Wilmette Historical Museum in the restoration of a front porch that had been removed their home at 1104 Forest decades earlier, said Norrick.

The commission also recognized the owners of 1601 Central Street for the addition to their Craftsman architectural style home built in the 1920s with "Tudor influences

She also said that Joel and Katie Cory were given an award for their "stewardship" of their home at 10 Canterbury Court in the village. That home was built in 1927 in the French Eclectic style of architecture

"The home in its unaltered state holds high architectural merit and integrity," said Norrick.

The commission also recognized the classic additions to the Roemer Baseball Park in the form of a new scoreboard, foul poles and storage building. In addition, resident Paul Pasin was given an award for the additions he made to his home at 687 Sheridan Road.

"The newer portion differentiates itself, yet relates to the historic architectural elements of the home," she said.